Zipline at Six in Ghana: Drone Dispatch Tops 8.3M Health Deliveries

Study finds drone deliveries cost less than traditional methods for child vaccinations

Zipline Ghana
©Zipline

In 2025, Zipline marked six years of medical drone operations in Ghana, with more than 8.3 million health products delivered nationwide.

As per remarks issued by Zipline, the significance lies not in the volume but “in what happened because those products arrived quickly and reliably—diseases were prevented, access improved, and lives were saved.”

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Study Cites Expanded Coverage, Cost Gains Across Ghana’s Western North Region

A peer-reviewed study, cited by Zipline, documents measurable health system gains across Western North Region, in Ghana, where autonomous dispatches supported over 17,000 children across four districts:

  • 112,000+ doses delivered—including BCG, MR, PCV, and Pentavalent vaccines—via centralized drone logistics over a 12-month period.
  • 14,979 full immunisation courses completed that would have otherwise stalled under ground-based systems.
  • 688 cases of acute disease prevented, ranging from measles to meningitis.
  • In 2021, four children’s lives were saved, with an estimated annual impact of over 190 lives nationwide, according to study projections.
  • Cost-efficiency benchmark: Zipline notes its model achieved last-mile delivery at $0.27 per dose, versus $0.47 via ground transport. As referenced in the study, this approach represents the lowest documented cost per fully immunised child at $0.66, compared to other public health interventions.
Zipline
Zipline delivery / @Zipline

The Aerospace Lens: Scalable Health Intervention From Above

Zipline’s partnership with Ghana Health Service (GHS) is positioned not merely as a tech deployment, but as a model for Africa-first aerospace intervention.

Essentially, Zipline notes that “access to vaccines can mean the difference between life and death.” 

The growing integration of drone logistics into supply chains suggests potential for enhanced systemic efficiency, a move towards greater equity, and improved safeguarding of lives.